Ask the Rules Guy: Boulder-dash, lost and found and hole out

• Got a Rules question? Zip it to [email protected] Hey, R.G.: My partner landed his second shot directly behind a large "man-placed" (but real) boulder. He could have moved it and then played his shot, but he decided to just move the ball and take a stroke penalty. Since the boulder is not natural to the environment but a decoratively placed feature, could he have moved the boulder without penalty?  Ed Joyce, Las Vegas, Nev. Regardless of whether it got there by way of avalanche or pickup truck, a natural stone of any size can be considered a loose impediment. Decision 23-1/2 allows a player to move a rock of any size that's in front of his ball, with the important caveat that moving the rock does not unduly slow down the pace of play. Another fun fact: If the rock proved too big for him to handle on his own, Decision 23-1/3 says that you (or any caddie, player or specta...